Luxor Avenue of Sphinxes will open in March
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An ancient passageway flanked by sphinxes and used for one the most important religious events in ancient Egypt will open to the public next March.
Known as the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the 2.7 kilometre (1.7 mile) road was originally built by 18th dynasty Amenhotep III (1387–1349 BC) to connect the temples of Karnak and Luxor. The pharaoh and priests promenaded along this road each year during the Opet festival, carrying the bark and shrine of Amen from the inner sanctum at Karnak to meet his consort Mut at the Temple of Luxor. This religious ceremony, a symbolic re-enactment of the deities’ marriage, was the closest approach the common folk had to the image of the god, even though he always remained shrouded.
The road was subsequently rebuilt by succeeding pharaohs all the way to King Nectanebo of the 30th dynasty (380-362 BC).
Archaeologists has so far unearthed 650 of the 1350 sphinxes believed to have once lined the entire path. Broken remnants of the statues will be restored and relocated to recreate the splendor of the ancient Egyptian civilization when it was the superpower of its day.
Sources: AFP and drhawass.com
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